Five deaths from Chinese bird flu

Five people have died from a new deadly strain of bird flu in China.

A patient with fever receives treatment at the hospital where a 67-year-old has been diagnosed with H7N9 Photo: Reuters

By Hannah Kings

7:04PM BST 04 Apr 2013

Experts from around the world are in daily talks over the threat posed by the H7N9 strain, and are discussing if and when to begin manufacturing vaccines.

A total of 14 people are reported to have been infected so far, six of whom are from the busy financial centre of Shanghai. There is no evidence yet of person-to-person transmission of the virus, but vigilance has been stepped up, with Hong Kong and Japan taking extra precautions at airports, and Vietnam banning imports of Chinese poultry.

Chinese authorities have come under criticism for delays in reporting the first two deaths, which are said to have occurred in February, but were not disclosed until late March. The Health Ministry in Beijing said this is because it took time to determine the cause of the deaths, and that it "will continue to openly and transparently maintain communication and information channels with the World Health Organisation and relevant countries and regions, and strengthen monitoring and preventive measures".

The latest two deaths are thought to have happened on Thursday.

A 67-year-old patient suffering from the H7N9 bird flu strain receives treatment at a hospital in Hangzhou (Reuters)

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The virus has been shared with World Health Organisation collaborating centres around the world, but it is said that the decision to begin mass-production of a vaccine will not be taken lightly, as this will mean sacrificing the production of vaccines against seasonal flu, which could cost thousands of lives.